Spotlight: Elisabeth Nonas

Hobart Festival of Women Writers welcomes back Elisabeth Nonas

Elisabeth Nonas, Associate Professor at Ithaca College (Cinema and Photography Program Director, Media Arts) has written and published three novels; coauthored, with Simon LeVay, the nonfiction City of Friends: A Portrait of the Gay and Lesbian Community in America; and adapted Afterlife, National Book Award winner Paul Monette’s novel, for the screen. She has completed her fourth novel,Shadow Line, a screenplay adaptation of the same, as well asFamily Room, a feature-length screenplay.

The author of STORY WORKOUT, EXERCISES TO CONNECT YOU TO THE STORIES YOU WANT TO TELL, Elisabeth Nonas has shifted to story more broadly delivered than in the form of a screenplay or novel. She investigates how stories are told, whether in film, television, videogames, webseries, fan fiction, graphic novels, as well as across media platforms. She has developed and taught the courses, Writing for Videogames and Emerging Media as well as Story: From Cave Paintings to Emerging Media and Transmedia Storytelling.

“Elisabeth is like a yoga instructor for storytelling. Story Workout will bend your mind with new perspectives on writing, pushing you (and your stories) farther than you thought you could go.” – Josh Feldman, Executive Producer, Telltale Games

about STORY WORKOUT: This is not a self-help book. This is a book of exercises designed to teach you to trust your instincts as a storyteller. The goal of this book is to encourage you to think about your own life, the kinds of stories you respond to, how they make you feel, and how those feelings relate to the effect you want your stories to have on your audience. Discovering what connects you to these stories will help you articulate what you need to connect with in the stories you create.

Celebrating our Fifth straight year of readings and writing craft workshops, Festival of Women Writers 2017 is excited to announce that Elisabeth Nonas will present the workshop, Running Around the Writer’s Block. Whether you’re an experienced writer or novice, whether or not you believe writer’s block exists, all writers get stuck at some point. In this workshop, participants will explore ways to write even when not inspired. After a discussion of story elements and in-class writing exercises, participants will leave with tools to help silence the inner critic and jump-start, re-start, or simply keep writing on track.

Seize your opportunity to work with an expert in the art and craft of effective storytelling.